Housings for electronic cards are found in plural applications. For instance, distribution amplifiers, which are typically used to connect a single source to multiple outputs, usually contain a plurality of various electronic cards. Other examples of such equipment include down converters, digital conversion systems and the like.
The typical construction of a housing consists of a chassis receiving the electronic cards therein at dedicated locations. A rear face of the chassis has plural connectors to link input and output wires of various peripherals to the electronic cards. Printed circuit boards connect the plural connectors on the rear face of the chassis to the various electronic cards.
As the card contents of a frame are often subject to changes, the above-described components must be adapted therefor. For instance, housings are frequently acquired with free space therein for receiving new electronic cards. Accordingly, the plural connectors on the rear face must comply with the electronic cards that are added in the chassis. As an example, a distribution amplifier may be provided with video cards, audio cards, redundant power supply units, personal computer configuration cards, and must thus have the appropriate connectors therefor.
Another important design factor is that the electronic cards within the housing may emit electromagnetic interference (EMI) or be subject to EMI of an adjacent device. Therefore, the housing must ensure EMI integrity.
A housing configuration which has complied with the above-described factors consists of rear connector panels singly removable from the rear face of the housing. These rear connector panels each comprise an upstanding rectangular metal plate such that, when rear connector panels are installed side by side on the rear of a housing, the metal plates thereof form the rear face of the housing. Each rear connector panel is linked to one electronic card, and thus the metal plate of each rear connector panel has the proper connectors thereon for complying with the use of its respective card. More precisely, the metal plate of each rear connector panel has a first vertical edge defining a channel for receiving a gasket therein. Therefore, when in side-by-side relationship, the gasket in the first vertical edge of a first rear connector panel is against a second vertical edge of an adjacent rear connector panel, so as to ensure EMI integrity. Each rear connector panel further comprises a printed circuit board extending perpendicularly to the metal plate inside the housing so as to be connected to an electronic card.
Although the above-described configuration meets the design factors, there is the possibility to further optimize the configuration in order to reduce the size of the housings. Furthermore, the above-described configuration involves extensive manpower and many steps in its assembly. In the conception of frames, the minimizing of the dimensions thereof is limited by the rear connector panel/printed circuit board configuration described above.